Kerala Banana Chips/ Ethakka Upperi

The floods that dampened Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, didn't dampen the spirit of the people in Kerala for reprising the sense of humanity in a time of grief. Back in Kerala, everyone is trying to get back on their feet after the worst floods hit Kerala. It is heard that as thousands of people are displaced in the floods, many are celebrating Onam in relief camps. This year Onam will be a low key affair.

This year I have tried my hands on making these delicious gold coin chips which are made of raw Kerala Bananas. I think because of it's shape and color as a kid I used to call these gold coin chips. These chips are my all time favorite ones and would buy whenever I see them in the stores. But this time I wanted to make them at home and see how these turn out. Though lots of oil is required to deep fry them I didn't think twice. I bought the raw plantain from a nearby Kerala store, sliced using a mandoline slicer and fried them in enough oil until crisp and crunchy. To my surprise, these chips were not oily, when compared with the store bought ones. I was really happy with the outcome and you know what happens with a homemade, oil-free, delicious snacks???? It gets over within no time.... But I was super excited as they came out really well. Hope you like them...

Ingredients:

1. Raw Kerala plantain- 6 
2. Turmeric powder- 1 tbsp
3. Salt- as required
4. Oil- for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash and peel the bananas. Wipe using a kitchen towel.
2. Heat the oil in a deep bottomed pan. When it is hot enough, lower the flame. Take a plantain, slice using a mandoline slicer, into the hot oil. Make sure not to overcrowd them. Occasionally give it a nice stir and keep them from sticking together.
3. When it is half done, sprinkle turmeric powder and salt in the oil. When the bubbling diminishes completely, gently toss them. When you hear crisp sounds, switch off the flame and drain on kitchen tissue. Store in airtight container and enjoy as needed.

Kootu Curry/ Mixed Vegetables and chana dal in coconut gravy

This is one of the delicacies served along with the Onam sadhya. Its basically a combination of mixed vegetables along with cooked chana dal, blended in coconut gravy. In this we can add as many vegetables as we like. For eg: yam, carrots and so on.. Instead of chana dal we can also add chana.

During my school vacation time, my grandmother used to make all such traditional kerala dishes for us. Among them, I always liked mampazha pulisserry (mango in yogurt) and this kootu curry the most. So few days back, I thought of making this myself.

If you haven’t tasted this before, I would recommend you to try this delicious preparation of veggies. This is prepared in different styles in different parts of Kerala. Just try this out and I am sure that you will fall in love with this.

Ingredients:

1. Chana Dal- ¼ Cup
2. Pumpkin (diced)- ¼ Cup
3. White Pumpkin (diced)- ¼ Cup
4. Snake Gourd (diced)- ¼ Cup
5. Ash Gourd (diced)- ¼ Cup
6. Raw Banana (diced)- ¼ Cup
7. String Beans- ¼ Cup
8. Coconut- ½ Cup
9. Green Chillies- 3 nos
10. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
11. Salt- as per taste
12. Oil- 1 tbsp
13. Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
14. Red Chillies- 1 no
15. Curry Leaves- few

Method:

1. Cook the chana dal along with salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker. Keep this aside.
2. Cook all the diced vegetables with required amount of salt. Grind the coconut along with green chillies to a fine paste.
3. Add the cooked vegetables and ground coconut to the cooked chana dal and mix well.
4. For seasoning add oil in a small kadai, splutter the mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
5. Pour this over the above curry mixture, mix well and enjoy this delicious magic of vegetables with hot steaming rice.

Avial- Vegetables in coconut and curd gravy...

Avial is the most popular and traditional dish of Kerala. Onam is incomplete without this dish.

This is a very healthy and nutritious dish. In this recipe, all the vegetables are cut in the same length and then cooked to a crunchy consistency along with salt. This is a perfect blend of different vegetables in a coconut and curd gravy. Instead of curd you can also use raw mango for tangyness.

As my husband who is choosy about vegetables, is not bothered about the vegetables I added in this, coz the flavors are well blended in coconut gravy. My kid who is very particular about rasam with rice was opposing to try this avial, but after one bite she liked it and for the next two days she insisted me to give avial for rice (avial lasted for two days.. :) I am happy that she liked it. Now on I will make it regularly just that I am lazy to cut the veggies.. :)

Ingredients:

1. Drumsticks- 2 nos
2. Carrot- 1 no
3. Raw Banana- 1 no
4. Yam- 100 gms
5. Beans- 5-6 nos
6. Potato- 1 no
7. Ash gourd- ¼ Cup
8. Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp
9. salt- as required
10. Coconut- 1 Cup
11. Cumin seeds- 1tsp
12. Green Chillies- 3 nos
13. Curd- 2-3 tbsp
14. Coconut oil- 1 tbsp
15. Curry Leaves- few

Method:

1. Grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies coarsely and keep it aside.
2. Wash and cut the vegetables into 2 inch long pieces. Boil the vegetables by adding little salt and turmeric powder till all the vegetables are cooked.
3. Add the ground coconut paste and cook for few more minutes and switch off the flame.
4. In the above, add curd and mix well. Season it with coconut oil and curry leaves.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Kurrukku Kaalan / Vegetable in thick curd gravy

This is a Keralite dish which is served as a part of sadhya and is made of curd, coconut and any  vegetable like yam or plantain. The consistency and ingredients vary from place to place. This has a thick gravy. In this recipe, the important thing is that the curd should be sour.

I learnt this dish soon after my marriage as I did not know what to cook and my Husband liked Kerala food a lot ( I had this recipe with me from so long), so I thought of making this and surprise him as soon as he comes back from office. To my surprise, I didn’t know that he doesn’t like most of the veggies :)  But thank god, he liked this a lot as this contains of curd (he likes curd a lot), from then on this is made regularly in my kitchen.

Ingredients:

1. Raw banana(peeled and diced)- 1no
2. Green chillies- 3nos
3. Curry leaves- few
4. Pepper powder- ½ tbsp
5. Salt- as required
6. Water- ½ cup
7. Curd- 2cups
8. Turmeric powder- 1tsp
9. Red chilli powder- 1tsp
10. Salt- as required
11. Coconut (grated)- 1cup
12. Cumin seeds- 1tsp
13. Coconut oil- 1tbsp
14. Mustard seeds- 1tsp
15. Fenugreek seeds- 1tsp
16. Curry leaves- few
17. Dry red chillies- 2nos

Method:

1. Cook raw banana along with green chillies, pepper powder, curry leaves and salt with required amount of water. Boil till the banana pieces are soft.
2. Mix curd, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt in a bowl without any lumps. Pour this mixture over the cooked banana pieces.
3. Grind coconut and cumin seeds together to a fine paste.
4. Heat oil in an earthen ware chatty (pan). Fry mustard seeds, fenugreek, curry leaves and red chillies in turn. Add the coconut mixture to this seasoning. Saute on slow fire, till all the masala is roasted. Remove from fire and let it cool.
5. Add this masala to the curd- banana mixture and stir well.
6. Put the chatty with the kaalan on a low flame and keep stirring carefully till the kaalan thickens. Lift it off the fire. Stir till it becomes cold.
7. Keep the kaalan in a porceline jar and use when required.

Note:
It can be kept for many days. But in my house it is finished the day itself :)

I am sending this to Treat to eyes -Series 2 hosted by Ruman of Spice Ur Sences. And also to Kerala Kitchen hosted by Magpie of magpies recipes.

Vazhakka thoran/Raw banana with grated coconut

Banana plant or plantain is found in large quantity in the backyard of most of the houses. Every part of the plant, the fruit, flower and the inner stem are edible and is consumed in a variety of recipes especially in south indian cuisine. The leaf is sometimes also used to wrap the food in to add flavour and are used as plates while serving south indian thali or during sadhya.

Raw banana thoran is a delectable vegetable preparation with chopped raw bananas and coconut. This is an easy to make side dish which takes only 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

1. Raw banana- 2nos
2. Water- as required
3. Coconut(grated)- 1cup
4. Green chillies- 3nos
5. Cumin seeds- 1/2tsp
6. Garlic- 2cloves
7. Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
8. Oil- 1tbsp
9. Curry leaves- few
10. Mustard seeds- 1/2tsp
11. Salt- as per taste

Method:

1. Peel the bananas, cut into small pieces and wash them properly.
2. Take a pan and put the sliced bananas, turmeric powder, salt and water as required and cook it.
3. Grind coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and garlic coarsely.
4. Add this to the cooked bananas and mix it properly and saute for 2 minutes on low flame.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves and pour this to the cooked banana mixture and mix till it blends well.
6. Serve warm with rice.